Florida Woman Mauled to Death by Dogs After 14 Police Calls

A Florida woman was mauled to death by two pit bull-type dogs in the early hours of May 19, 2026, in Sharpes, Brevard County — a tragedy that authorities say might have been prevented had state law allowed earlier intervention. Neighbors had called the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office at least 14 times since October 2024 about the dogs’ owner, yet the animals remained in her care until the fatal attack.

The Attack

Jodi Cowan, 50, was walking her small dog on Blue Bonnet Drive around 2:00 a.m. when two dogs named Max and Mako escaped their yard and attacked her. According to Fox News, security camera footage captured Cowan clutching her tiny dog to her chest as she tried to flee. The dogs forced her to the ground, viciously mauled her, and dragged her across the street.

Cowan’s partner, Donnell Smith, heard her screams and rushed outside, swinging a knife to drive the dogs away. He called 911 and tried to render aid. On the call, Cowan could be heard saying, “I’m dying, can’t breathe.” She was transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center’s trauma unit, where she died approximately four hours later. The small dog she was protecting escaped unharmed.

“It’s brutal,” Tod Goodyear, a Brevard County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson and former homicide detective, told Fox News. “She suffered.”

A History of Warnings

Neighbor Dominica Midkiff told ClickOrlando/WKMG that the dogs had terrorized the community for months. “They pinned people on their porches as people were trying to leave for work and come home,” she said. “You never knew where them loose dogs would be and who they were going to terrorize next.”

Records show that neighbors called the sheriff’s office at least 14 times about Cutler’s animals since October 2024. Animal Services issued at least five citations with hundreds of dollars in fines for the dogs being at large. One of Cutler’s dogs had previously bitten a neighbor who required medical treatment, but the victim did not cooperate with law enforcement, halting the investigation.

Just 20 days before the fatal attack, Midkiff photographed Max and Mako standing outside her car, trapping her inside as she waited for them to leave.

Owner Charged

Linda Cutler, 29, was arrested on May 27 and charged with one count of manslaughter. According to Florida Today, Melbourne Police took her into custody at a Hilton hotel on the beach after responding to a disturbance call. During the arrest, Cutler feigned a heart attack and was evaluated at a hospital before being cleared.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey personally escorted Cutler into the jail. Body camera footage released by the sheriff’s office shows Ivey telling Cutler, “A woman’s dead, and two dogs are about to be euthanized because of your uselessness.” Cutler is being held without bond, in part because she was already out on another charge.

A judge has permanently banned Cutler from owning or possessing any animals. Her next court appearance is scheduled for June 2026.

Gaps in the Law

Sheriff Ivey used the case to highlight limitations in Florida’s dangerous dog statute. Under current law, animal control officers cannot seize dogs that routinely escape yards or have bitten someone unless the bite is classified as “severe.” For non-severe bites, the only action permitted is issuing a citation and a fine.

“While you might think that Animal Services has the authority to seize dogs that routinely escape from yards or that have even bitten someone, the unfortunate reality is that they don’t,” Ivey said, as reported by Fox 35 Orlando.

Even after a dog is declared dangerous, Florida law allows the owner to keep the animal by installing effective fencing, muzzling the dog around visitors, posting warning signage, and obtaining a $100,000 insurance policy.

Community Response

Cowan had only lived on Blue Bonnet Drive for two weeks before the attack. Her partner, Donnell Smith, expressed mixed feelings about Cutler’s punishment. “Do I want her to rot in jail? No,” Smith told ClickOrlando/WKMG. “Do I want accountability? Yeah. There’s some other individuals that need to be looked at, some other entities that need to be looked at.”

Max and Mako remain in custody of Brevard County Animal Control and will be euthanized after a mandated 10-day quarantine period. The case has sparked renewed debate about whether Florida’s dangerous dog laws need reform to prevent future tragedies.